What age do I need to be to enroll?

Participants must be at least 15 years old and hold a current Open Water certification before starting the course.

Is first aid included?

Yes. DAN First Aid/CPR and Oxygen Provider certifications are included as part of the Rescue Diver course.

How many open-water dives are included?

The weekend includes two open-water dives on Sunday where you apply rescue scenarios under instructor supervision.

What is the class size?

Minimum class size is two; actual classes are kept small to ensure adequate instructor oversight during water skills.

Do I need to bring my own equipment?

Bring mask, fins, snorkel, weights, BCD and regulator; rental options may be available but personal gear is recommended.

Is prior medical clearance required?

Yes. You must submit a completed medical form to the shop prior to the start of class; certain medical conditions may require physician approval.

Rescue Diver Course Fort Myers: Become a Safer Diver on Florida's Gulf Coast | Scuba | Workshop

Rescue Diver Course Fort Myers is a three-day, hands-on certification course based in Fort Myers, Florida, run from a dive shop at 12600 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers, FL 33919, USA. The class blends classroom instruction, confined-water practice in a pool, and two open-water dives to teach emergency response, diver assessment, rescue techniques, and oxygen administration. Ideal for certified Open Water divers age 15 and up, the course includes DAN First Aid/CPR and Oxygen Provider certification and positions students to pursue leadership credentials such as Divemaster or Instructor.

On land the setting is a Gulf Coast diving community framed by mangrove-lined estuaries and the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. In the water you'll practice practical rescues among seagrass meadows, oyster bars and nearshore sandy bottoms that characterize southwest Florida's nearshore habitats. The region's hard limestone substrate and sprawling seagrass beds shape currents and visibility, and you'll learn to read those features when planning an extraction or surface swim.

Course rhythm is pragmatic: Friday night covers CPR, first aid and oxygen administration; Saturday shifts to pool sessions and classroom drills; Sunday puts skills to work in two open-water dives. Instructors focus on realistic scenarios—panicked diver management, unconscious diver retrieval, boat and shore extractions, and prolonged surface swims—so students leave with both muscle memory and the certification cards to prove it.

Bring your mask, fins, snorkel, weights, BCD and regulator; the shop requires a completed medical form before the course begins. Class minimums and pace mean that attention to detail matters—skills are practiced repeatedly until they become automatic.

This program stands out for combining evidence-based emergency protocols with local environmental awareness; instructors teach rescue techniques that work in Gulf conditions, including low-profile maneuvering near mangroves and working quietly around fragile seagrass. For travelers staying in Fort Myers or nearby Sanibel and Captiva, this is an efficient way to deepen your diving competence while experiencing the subtropical marine habitats that attract recreation divers year-round.

Students typically work in small teams—minimum class size is two—to simulate realistic rescues and maintain instructor oversight. Tuition is $599 for participants aged 15 and older; equipment such as personal masks, fins, snorkel, weights, surface marker buoy, BCD and regulator are expected, and instructors emphasize good buoyancy control, efficient towing techniques, airway management, and scene assessment. Completion also improves safety and is a recognized step toward NAUI leadership certifications for divers aspiring to instruct professionally.

Rescue Diver Course Fort Myers: Become a Safer Diver on Florida's Gulf Coast

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